Grapple



are 25: 1924- 1,48%6 J. D. KERWIN GRAPPLE Filed Jan. 17, 1922 Joins DOYLE Knnwin, or BELO Application filed January 17, 1922.

IT, WISCONSIN, ASSIG-NOR BELOIT, WISCONSIN.

insane 'ro EDWARD Knawrn, or

GRAPPLE.

. Toall whomit may concern: I -Be it known that 1, JOHN Donn KER- WIN, a citizen of ing. at Beloit, in State of .Visconsin, new and useful Improveme the United States, residthe'county of Rock and have invented certain nits in (ii-apples,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cially adapted for grapples, espehoisting and handling bags of cement and the like, and also adapted for articles.

The primary object is to handling other heavy containers or provide an improved grappleor lifting device by means of which bags of cement containers of this character and conveniently handled and other loose may be quickly without tearing the bags. This improved device is intended for lifting bags from a pile when loading and unloading, and also for carrying them as when attached to an overhead conveyor or crane; consequently it effects a saving in labor and cost of moving bags as compared with handling them entirely by hand.

Another object is to provide a lifting device of the character described having a powerful leverage grip on the bag when lifting, to insure safe hand jury to the bag.

ling without in- Still another object is to provide a lifting device which may be converted from a power-lift type to a hand-lift type.

Other objects and attendant advantages will be appreciated by those familiar with this art as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered with the accompanying dra Figure l is a side view of in connection wing; 21. hand-lift type of lifting device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 IS a top vlew of said device;

Fig. 3 is a of my invention;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of removed from the device;

Figs. 5 and 6 are power-lift type in the open tions, respectively; and

side view of a power-lift type one of the jaws views showing the and closed posi- Fig. 7 is a detail section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 3.

y invention contemplates the provision of a pair of jaws 8 and 9, preferably of malleable castings, each shaped as shown,

to provide a shank 1i and a terminating in inwardly t pair of arms 12 urned fiat-faced Serial No. 529,819.

ends 13. These forked jaws with obtuse ends are especially suited for medially embracing a bag of cement or any similar loose container and lifting the same with out injury to the bag. The jaws are pivotally connected at their shank ends to a jaw-spacer member 14: which holds the jaws substantially spaced apart and is preferably arched upwardly for clearance of the lifting means, which will be presently described. Each end of said spacer member is bifurcated to receive the shank 11 of one of the jaws and carries a bolt 15 providing a fulcrum for said jaw.

Handle-lifting means is nowprovided for drawing the jaws together for gripping and holding a bag. In illustrating my invention 1 have shown two forms of lifting means, one especially adapted for hand lifting and the other for power lifting, although each might be used for both. The form shown in Fig. 1 for hand lifting, comprises a pair of crossed levers 16 and 17 pivotally connected together at 18 and pivotally and detachably connected at their lower ends at 19 to the jaws 8 and 9. Said crossed levers pass through an opening 21 in the jawspacer member 14 and are shaped at their upper ends to provide handles 22. When said handles are closed the jaws are crossed sufficiently for supporting a bag between them without pinching or distorting the bag. It will be manifest thatwhen the handles 22 are lifted the jaws 8 and 9 will be drawn together by a force increasing with the weight. A power-lift hook or an lifting element may be passed through the handles 22 for lifting by power; but this form is not as well suited for power-lift purposes as that which will now be described.

Referring to F ig. 3, it will be seen that in place of the levers 16 and 17 I employ links 23 and 24 and a lifting handle member 25 pivotally connected together. In the present instance the member 25 is threaded into a connector part 26 which has opposed eyes through which the looped ends 27 of the links 23 and 2e are passed. The opposite ends of said links are detachably connected to the aws as by means of the reduced cnds passing through the holes 28 in the jaws and are equipped with nuts 29 for holding said ends against withdrawal. These loose connections are the equivalent of pivotal connections, allowing the links a limited vertical swinging movement relative to the jaws. The member which has a large eye at its upper end, passes through the opening 21 in the jaw-spacer member and is thereby held in alignment with the jaws. It will be readily seen that by depressing the member 25 the jaws may be spread to the open posit-ion shown in Fig. 5, to receive and embrace a bag indicated by 31, and that by lifting said member 25 the jaws will be drawn together, thereby grasping the bag as shown in Fig. 6. This form is obviously well adapted for power-lift purposes, that is, for attachment to a hook, chain or cable or any power-operated lifting device such as a crane. It is also well adapted for use with any overhead conveyor.

It is believed that the foregoing conveys a clear understandingof the objects prefaced above, and although I have shown several embodiments, it should be understood that considerable change might be made in details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. A grapple of the character described, comprising a pair of jaws shaped to provide a shank and a gripping end, a jawspacer member to each end of which a jaw shank is pivotally attached, the jaws being adapted to swing toward and from each other, said member having an opening centrally intermediate its ends, and handle-lifting means in levers pivotally connected together at their intersection and each pivotally connected at its lower end to one of the jaws intermediate the ends of the latter, the cross levers passing through said opening in said memthe form of av pair of cross' bar, and each lever being shaped at its upper 7 end to provide a handle.

2. A grapple as; setforth in claim 1, in which the gripping end of each jaw is shaped to provide a pair of spaced arms terminating in inwardly turned fiat-faced ends.

JOHN DOYLE KERWIN. 

